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whatsbookinjenni's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5
I got this book from my grandma--so I read this somewhat on a whim--but I ended up really enjoying it! Quite a fascinating look at the author's personal history in North Carolina, and how that is overlaid with the state's history of pottery, art, and Quakerism.
chefpatty's review against another edition
4.0
Family history is interwoven with America’s developing folk art and history of the natural world.
robyn_m's review
3.0
3.5 stars. // There is a chapter titled, "The Meander", which is a fitting description for this book in its entirety. It is well written, but jumps around quite a bit. Topics include emigration and displacement, clay / pottery / porcelain, brick, Josef and Anni Albers, Black Mountain College, North Carolina, Quakerism, Whistler (the painter), starting from zero.
ecstaticlistening's review
5.0
In this book, Benfey not only locates his place in American history (and he's lucky that it's such a fascinating place), but locates it beautifully and does a wonderful job of crafting the story in its own kind of meander--bringing together threads that recur again and again: Quakers, pottery, etc. Having read this, I want to read all the books he referenced, go live in the North Carolina hills, learn to weave and throw pottery, learn the Latin names of the local flora and fauna, go to Quaker meetings, and build my own house out of locally-fired bricks. So totally recommended.
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